Frozen Lake of Hell
by DragonGolem
Summary: What could possibly make Ranma's life better? Things between him and Akane are still the same and he has no one to blame, but could a stranger perhaps help him out? And what about the terrible blizzard that never seems to end...?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Author's Notes: It's a new day and a new story. For those of you wondering about A Different Side 2, please don't. I may finish that story someday but right now it looks like a lack of creativity. They say we are our own harshest critic. The story you are about to read follows well worn paths but that's okay, right? Trust me; this is not the standard fare. Without further ado, let's get on with the show!

Frozen Lake of Hell

Prologue

Many tales begin on a bright and sunny day. Still others begin on a terribly rainy day. Unlike most days for the people of Nerima, the weather was blustery and cold. Snow was piling up and was no longer being measured in inches, but in feet. On a day such as this it would be much better to be home and warm with a loving family. However, for one Ranma Saotome, he was forcibly ejected across the Nerima skyline by a certain gorilla fiancée. It wouldn't have been so bad except that he (now she) was sailing through the air without her coat or even her shoes. Her eyes quickly scanned the ground for a safe place to land and angled herself to come in as softly as she could still causing a terrific impact.

"Safe…" she breathed in relief, but the vibrations caused by her landing shook snow from the telephone wires and from the house she landed near, burying her completely. The poor little redhead wearily pushed her way free, her skin tinged red from the stinging snow as she tried to get out, but her freezing limbs were barely adequate to the task. She didn't want to cry but it was a losing battle. Ranma knew it wasn't just Akane's fault that she was here right now and she wasn't going to say it was always her fault. It takes two to tango and she finally understood that stupid saying. Insult and react, insult and react, their lives were falling into a rut. She would insult him and he would insult her accompanied by the familiar sensation of flying. It never failed.

"I-I know she doesn't hate me…" Ranma muttered deliriously as her vision began to fade. On top of all her other problems she seemed to have developed a concussion from the hefty blow to her skull, coupled with her freezing condition, it was making it impossible to stay awake. The last sound she heard as she slipped into darkness was the snow crunching beneath someone's feet.

The young man blinked in astonishment at what was before him. Absolutely insane, he thought as he regarded the redheaded girl half buried in the snow. He was a somewhat tall young man at almost six feet tall. His hair was a shade of blue and his eyes were a bright green. He couldn't have been more than eighteen. His clothing consisted of a warm black coat that ended at mid hip, black pants and black snow boots. The puzzle before him was quickly resolved as he delicately scooped the freezing girl in his arms. Open and shut damsel in distress case. The blue-haired boy looked about surreptitiously before a warm, red aura enveloped him and his precious bundle. He began making his way towards where he was staying, holding the cold at bay with his burning aura.

"I hope the Doc understands me bringing a girl home…" he chuckles softly as he gently rearranges the girl. He can't help but notice how beautiful she is yet he can resist the temptation to kiss her. The traveler was many things but he never took advantage of a woman. He was glad for the good doctor's company. He had been out of the country doing missionary work in Tibet trying to get over a severe reaction to a girl he called Kasumi. He would have continued, but the girl in his arms stirred and cuddled closer to his warmth, bringing a strangely paternal smile to his face.

"Well…already starting to feel better I take it." He said softly as he felt the girl's enormous ki reserves healing her injuries at a fantastic rate and tried to keep the ride as smooth as possible. But this is Nerima folks and we all know how long peaceful moments last.

"Ah ha! There you are Saotome! Hiding in that man's arms can't fool me!" a crazed young man with a yellow bandanna shouted, his intense battle aura clearly showing through the winter gear he was wearing. Without another word he charged, intent on decimating his hated foe. Now if only he could make the guy drop the pigtailed runt…then it hit him. With a smirk, he used the weakest Bakusai Tenketsu he could to jog the man's legs, his smirk increasing when the startled guy dropped the girl he was holding. Without hesitation, he launched himself at the prone redhead with murder in his eyes only to be stopped when an icy blade touched his throat. He looked up to see the man glaring down upon him from the hilt of his sword. The blade itself was beautiful, covered in strange runes and gleaming silver. The crosspiece was black, inlaid with gold while the hilt was silver with a clearly molded grip. The pommel was four rings of alternating gold and black with a coldly glowing emerald sphere at the end. All in all, a beautiful weapon, but not something he wanted pointed at him.

"Excuse me, but what is your problem?" the stranger asked coolly of the young man who just attacked him.

"I'm after that jackass Saotome. He always tries to hide in his girl form because he's too scared to fight me. Because of him I've seen Hell!" the fanged boy snarled only to be struck across the face by a powerful backhand that sent him skidding through the snow, tumbling end over end, to land face-first in the snow. The powerfully built young warrior managed to regain his footing, silently thanking whatever kami was watching for not letting him transform.

"If you wish to harm the young lady…or gentleman as you claim…then I guess I'll have to kick your ass." The blue-haired boy said easily as he removed his coat, placing it around the shivering girl. Due to his size she fit neatly inside the warm cocoon as he placed her on a doorstep out of the way. Under his coat he wore a black t-shirt that read "I only look like I'm listening". His smile was terribly feral.

"Who are you so I can put it on your tombstone?" the antagonist asked haughtily. The stranger's smile got wider and more frightening.

"The name is Ding Dragon and I am the greatest warrior in the world…" he proclaimed before amending "In my world anyway". The young man wasn't impressed. With a shrug "Ding" shot across the intervening space into a powerful shoulder ram that blew the Lost Boy off his feet. The Dragon gaped in astonishment when his opponent casually stood back up and brushed himself off.

"I'm Ryoga Hibiki and there is no one that can beat me." Ryoga boasted. The Lost Boy set himself for battle as Ding slowly swept his sword to the side before violently slashing upwards with such force that it hurled waves of freezing snow at the fanged martial artist. His confident smile melted back into shock as a wave of green ki hurtled at him, blowing through the wall of icy snow throwing it everywhere, momentarily blinding him as the ball struck. Ding clutched his chest from the blow, the front of his shirt smoldering from the intense heat. He had only a second's warning to dodge as a fist shot through the space his head had been just before a kick tore into his side and spun him away, forcing him to drop his sword.

"Curse you to hell you bastard…" the Dragon growled as he gingerly stood up. Where he came from he had been hit harder, but this kid was not just good. He was amazing! Normal humans shouldn't have that kind of power. With a low chuckle, he healed his injuries allowing him to stand up fully only to end up falling down a deep pit from another Bakusai Tenketsu with the displaced snow literally burying him alive. As the snow came down he thought "Well isn't this nice…" as his vision filled with white.

End Chapter

Author's Notes: I know some people hate SI but this isn't quite one of those. Ding Dragon is my old role playing character and I figured it was time the guy got some use. A prologue that ends on a real cliffhanger. Who is going to win, Ryoga or Ding? Stay tuned for next time!


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ but I do own Ding.

Author's Notes: Wow, not a bad response for a first chapter at all. I would like to thank you all for reviewing! The first chapter begins now but what of the buried Dragon? What will become of Ranma? Let's find out now! (I'm starting to sound like a cheesy announcer…)

Frozen Lake of Hell

Chapter 1

The warmth of the coat went a long way to unthawing the frozen redhead. She felt her ki surging along at full strength, no longer sluggish from her dropping body temperature. The girl climbed out from the coat just in time to see Ryoga and a strange guy fighting. The guy was pretty good but was a bit too arrogant. This observation coming from Ranma means that this is definitely a special case. The Lost Boy used a Bakusai Tenketsu suddenly on his opponent. The girl tried to cry out a warning, but by the time she could gather the breath, he was gone under the snow.

"Ryoga! What the hell is going on? Are you tryin' to kill people?" the incredulous redhead demanded angrily as she stood up. Her furiously burning aura heated the air around her causing her to change back to male. The coat was temporarily forgotten until the pigtailed boy realized it might be useful and put it on. Due to its size it hung down around his knees. Ryoga was staring at him in shock.

"You bastard! You learned how to control the curse but didn't tell me? The one who needs it more?" the furious fanged boy bellowed followed by a storm of bandanna shuriken. Ranma leaned back until his back was parallel to the ground to dodge the first volley before rolling onto his hands and pushing off the ground to dodge the next. He had to get the guy out of the snow or he might freeze to death but how to do it? His finely honed tactical computer was able to juggle several processes at once and it was practically doing back flips over this problem. Suddenly the answer hit him and he aimed a Moko Takabisha at Ryoga. When the Lost Boy tensed up to take the hit, the pigtailed wonder took his hesitation and fired the blast into the snow-filled hole. A great geyser of superheated air erupted from the hole as water splashed over the enraged pig-boy. It was rather comical when the water cooled on his clothes, during him into P –chan.

"Bwee!" the little piglet screamed angrily and promptly began shivering. Ranma rolled his eyes and motioned for him to stay where he was. The pigtailed martial artist checked the hole and spotted the guy at the bottom of the hole, apparently unharmed by the breaking point or the heated air. The martial artist jumped into the pit to check on him seeing as how he was flat on his back and his eyes were a little glassy.

"You okay buddy?" Ranma asked the young man, belatedly realizing he was wearing the guy's coat. As he was about to take it off, the man grabbed his hand.

"You can wear it. I don't get cold like normal people, but could you help me up?" the guy said with a wan smile as his glassy eyes slowly filled up with life. The young martial artist nodded and helped the man stand up. The blue haired boy abruptly arched his back and a gunshot like pop heralded it snapping back in place.

"Who are you?" Ranma asked.

"The name's Ding Dragon and…that guy packs a wallop." He smiled ruefully, wondering where the redhead went. Further conversation was interrupted by a pained cry from above. The young men looked at each other before leaping out of the hole in ready stances, Ding's sword miraculously returning to him, and facing off against...no one. Ryoga looked up at them pitifully from where he had stuck his hoof on a nail. If the Lost Pig hadn't looked so pitiful or so injured, Ranma might have laughed, but that was not really funny. He scooped the piglet up and inspected the hoof, much to Ryoga's chagrin.

"Easy there Master P and let me look at it. I may not be a doctor but I know injuries. Mostly inflicted by you." Ranma said with a grin as he noticed the nail was not only stuck in the hoof but it had cracked it. For an animal that was seriously bad news. Ding gaped for a second at the bandanna around the porcine wonder's neck before whispering in reverence and fear.

"Jusenkyo…" he breathed and the mystery of where the redhead went was solved. He wanted to know what loon reopened that damned place but was cut off by his companion expelling a large breath in annoyance.

"I could remove the nail here but without antiseptic or somethin' you'd get an infection. As it stands, you'll have to stay a pig for awhile since ya need to heal that hoof." The pigtailed boy explained patiently only to notice the stare he was getting from the bacon bit only to growl in annoyance.

"Hey, I'm not a dumb jock! I do pay attention and besides…Pops sold me to a vet once for a pizza, not as bad as rice and two pickles but hey…" he shrugged even as he held his rival surprisingly gently as he began to trudge back to the Dojo only to turn to Ding. He waved him to come on and the bemused Dragon complied.

"How can you be so kind to a guy who tried to kill you when you were unconscious?" Ding asked as his curiosity finally won out. It took a few moments of thinking for the answer as he absently adjusted Ryoga so he was settled more comfortably, or at least as comfortably as you can get with a nail in your foot.

"It's my fault he became a pig. Shortly after I was thrown into the Spring of the Drowned Girl, I was chasin' my pandified Pops and we knocked him off into the Spring of the Drowned Piglet. I can be angry at him for blamin' everything on me, but he has a right to blame me for that." Ranma finished quietly only to look down at the piglet in his arms, cradled like a baby. It would normally be humiliating but the Lost Pig was in too much pain to complain.

"Uh huh…still haven't answered my question." The Dragon said, slightly annoyed. Ranma smirked at the brief loss of temper before it became something friendlier.

"Easy, I usually trick him by pretendin' to be unconscious and since my injuries aren't obvious most of the time…he just assumed. Still, I am pissed cuz he attacked someone not involved." The pigtailed boy said reproachfully at the resting piglet. The pig looked briefly indignant before having the good grace to be ashamed. He would have asked more, but judging by the reticent expression on the boy's face, he decided that further questions could wait until later.

-Tendo Dojo-

Akane sat alone in her room staring at a small framed picture that sat on her desk. It was a picture of her and Ranma on their wedding day or at least what was supposed to be their wedding day. Throw in a few jealous fiancées, jealous suitors, idiotic fathers, an insane mother-in-law, a pervert, and a thrice-damned mercenary bitch and you get a recipe for disaster that they were lucky to survive. It wasn't fair to blame Ranma when all the big lug did was try to make everyone happy. She could understand what he was trying to do. He was like Kasumi only not as successful. The image of Ranma in a dress an apron made her smile briefly before throwing herself on her bed with a growl.

"I shouldn't have hit him. I never should hit him. He finally gets up the courage to do the right thing and I overreact." She admitted to herself. The morning had started out mysteriously worse than usual. Not so mysterious if one had noticed that Nabiki store the furo sign, again. Akane had known Ranma for a long time and was now familiar with the fact he didn't seem to get sexual urges. So when he accidentally walked in she was prepared to actually be reasonable and give him more than a second to get out. Around five to ten seconds, but today was different. Today he reacted. It startled her so bad that he not only made his escape but it paralyzed her for several minutes.

"So big…" she murmured dreamily. He wasn't called the Wild Horse for nothing, but whereas she could dream about it now, it had made her livid. Even Akane knew she was being unreasonable at breakfast but lacked the proper control to reign in her temper and had sent her erstwhile fiancé for an unscheduled flight over the Nerima skyline.

"I am a true idiot." She grumbled ruefully as she flopped on her back, staring at her ceiling. It wasn't that they didn't love each other and it certainly wasn't a lack of attraction. What it had to be was the scars they both carried. His were from his Pops. The stories he told actually gave her nightmares and she would never tell him over her Neko-ken dreams. She shudders around cats now but not as bad as him. Her tragedies were tame by comparison but he never made them seem that way. She would suddenly miss her mother and then find herself in his strong arms crying for the marvelous light that was lost. The restless girl sat up and groaned. Every time she was mean to him it would come back to haunt her terribly. She could assuage some of her guilt by saying he started it, usually, but most of the time it was clearly her fault. When she was angry she needed stress relief but today seemed a bad day for destruction. There was enough damage around here without adding more.

"I hope he comes home soon…" she whispered softly as she burrowed under her covers, trying to hide from her shame.

-Downstairs-

Kasumi worked efficiently as she cleaned the living room. It wasn't easy keeping the house running as well as she did but it was worth it. She never asked to be the surrogate mother and homemaker, but it had called her and with their mother gone she couldn't refuse. She still couldn't refuse but it didn't bother her so much anymore. The dead house felt more like a home since a wild boy not even seventeen years of age dropped into their lives.

"Such a kind soul." She thought happily as she made sure everything was just so. A feng shui master would have wept at the beauty and the order with which she ran the house despite the chaos. Kasumi was far from oblivious but it was so hard to help Ranma since every time someone did his fiancées would get mad even her own baby sister. It mad little sense to her why the two of them weren't together by now even with all the parental meddling. It had to be something else but what? Asking Nabiki would be a good idea, she decided. She wouldn't charge her older sister.

"If she knows what's good for her." The gentle girl murmured with a smile to chill lava.

-Nabiki's room-

The young mercenary may not have a martial artist's reflexes or skill, but she did have the instincts. It didn't take a genius to figure out that something big was coming. The unseasonable blizzard spoke volumes of that considering it was only early fall and by the way the meteorologists said it would be short meant it would last until August at least. She smiled slightly at her own joke before going back to her ledgers. Safety in numbers or at least crunching numbers. A light knock on the door disturbed her concentration causing a slight frown.

"Come in." she said before turning back to her books. It was either Akane or Kasumi because Ranma wasn't home yet and her instincts were screaming that something was about to happen. Kasumi's trademark stealth walk was nearly impossible to notice unless you were family. The young woman entered the room and shut the door behind her.

"We need to talk Nab-chan." She said using the nickname from her childhood. The middle daughter flinched inwardly. She knew what was happening. Big sister was invoking her full power and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Nabiki could be childish and try to wheedle out of it, but it wouldn't work. That warm motherly smile of hers could turn mean in a second. It wasn't Akane who had been the tomboy when they were little, it was Kasumi.

"What's up Kas-chan?" she replied, throwing back the familiarity hoping to shake her up, but the mercenary knew she was beaten by the better Ice Queen.

"I need you to find out just what is wrong between Akane and Ranma. It seems strange that no matter what they go through, they grow no closer to admitting their feelings. I mean, the wedding idea should have worked but someone messed with my plans." The eldest girl said primly making Nabiki's eyes grow large and her blood run cold. If that had been Kasumi's plan then she had stepped on some major toes. She had run roughshod over something big sister had set up.

"I mean, it wouldn't have bothered me too greatly if someone had an idea of what I had been doing. Giving that fat idiot the idea of knocking out his son or inviting all those dreadful people. Why…what was the point? It would be easier to just have Ranma use a Hiryuu Shoten Ha if you want widespread destruction." Kasumi said vapidly, but her eyes spoke volumes. Those eyes said that unless she was appeased there would be pain awaiting her, but Nabiki refused to be cowed so easily.

"Perhaps whoever did it didn't know of your carefully crafted plans so couldn't help but step on toes. I'm sure that it was an accident and it won't happen again." Nabiki replied frostily, the icicles dripping from her words only to be melted by the firestorm of Kasumi's anger.

"You think you are so smart don't you?" she began through clenched teeth. "Hurting our baby sister, not only the young man who helps keep this family together and you try to switch blame? What the fuck is your problem? I'm through being nice. Help me or so help me Kami I will make you miserable." Kasumi grated out in tones the human throat should not be able to make. The mercenary girl whimpered softly and broke down in tears. Big sister was always so scary when they were younger. She left no doubt that she loved them but if things went badly she was brutal on the guilty party. Nabiki found herself pulled into a warm embrace with Kasumi crooning apologies in an anguished voice, but they knew how it would go. Nabiki would do what was necessary and more to help her family. If only to keep Kasumi from getting mad again.

"I'm home!" a voice called from downstairs and the gut feeling Nabiki had almost made her faint.

End Chapter

Author's Notes: I'm trying not to make everyone out to be caricatures of their personalities and if they seem OOC then I apologize but remain unrepentant. They haven't taken my creative license yet. Stay tuned for next time! Ja ne!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Author's Notes: For those of you reading this it is a Ranma and Akane pairing. I've written several different stories with different pairings but never a canon pairing so this is it. Also I decided not to caricaturize the characters as I did previously. If you want a nice story that follows the same fanfiction tracks that have been done to death than I apologize. That's enough of my psychotic author's rant so let's get on with the show!

Frozen Lake of Hell

Chapter 2

The Tendo home was an impressive structure to the Dragon's eyes for a "modest" family home. It was clear that this family held to the old ways and the strange sense of peace he had while looking at it said it was a home. He nodded his head approvingly as he followed the pigtailed young man into the house. The piglet in his arms was sleeping restlessly as the harsh nail seemed to be increasing his pain.

"I'm home!" Ranma called out to the house as he stepped inside, kicking his frozen feet on the floor to knock the life back into them. It still surprised him that he was still male but chose not to comment for fear he would become a girl. Kami had been somewhat kind to him lately so he let it go. The sleeping pig grunted softly and squirmed uncomfortably, causing the pigtailed boy's eyes to soften.

"Such concern for an enemy…" Ding murmured in amazement. Sure, Ranma had said he was a friend and all, but that didn't change the fact the fanged idiot tried to kill him. His estimation of the young man had risen drastically from simple respect to actual admiration. He smiled and gently patted his shoulder. At Ranma's questioning look he smirked.

"You may want to get that nail out." He suggested helpfully. The pigtailed boy simply nodded and lay P –chan down on the couch before taking off the coat and handing it back to Ding. The young Dragon carefully arranged the coat around the porcine patient and watched as his new friend went into the kitchen to apparently grab the first-aid kit.

-Kitchen-

Ranma was hunting for the first-aid kit as well as a pair of pliers to treat the injured piglet when a hand on his shoulder made him jump. The jump wouldn't have been so bad if his head hadn't been in the cabinet resulting in a loud thump followed by an "Ite…" as he rubbed his sore head.

"Oh my…I'm sorry Ranma but what are you looking for?" Kasumi asked as Ranma whirled around, clutching his chest in shock. How did she do that? He wondered for the millionth time but calmly put the matter aside for now. He continued to hunt for the items as he talked to Kasumi.

"I need the first-aid kit…ah ha! Found it!" he crowed triumphantly as he quickly made his way back to the living room. He barely registered that Nabiki and Akane had come downstairs and were watching him curiously.

"But what do you need it for? Are you hurt?" Kasumi asked in a voice as close to panic as she ever came. Rather than answer, he decided it would be best to show her. As the three sisters entered the room they gaped at the scene before them. In the living room was a strange young man gently settling P –chan in a nest made from his coat saying soothing things to the little piglet. Ranma made his way over and sat down, the clicking sound as the box came open snapped them from their stupor.

"What happened to P –chan?" Akane demanded angrily. She didn't know whether to be angry at Ranma or the strange guy with him. It had to be one of them or even worse, both! As Akane began to fuel her outrage, Nabiki set a hand on her shoulder. When Akane looked to her sister, the girl simply shook her head and made a silencing motion.

"Uhm…I met this guy…Ding and we uhm…found the little oinker injured. He stepped on a nail so I uh…was gonna remove the nail." Ranma became a little flustered as he waited for the mallet to drop but Ding shook him out of it.

"Concentrate or you could hurt the little guy." The young Dragon said while mentally trying to sort out why he would lie like that. When he noticed the piglet's relieved look, even with the nail, he reached the appropriate conclusion. They didn't know and the girl calling him P –chan meant he must be a pet or something. His eyes narrowed just slightly at this but he held his peace. It must be part of what Ranma blames himself for.

"Kasumi? Could you pass me the pliers?" Ranma asked as he gently pushed a pressure point to briefly numb the wounded limb. When the pliers were in his hand, after a steadying breath, he grasped the nail firmly and slowly pulled it out. He was treading a tight rope with how hard he should pull but he was used to being on the edge. Once the offending article was extracted, he asked for the alcohol and poured a little into the broken hoof, much to the pig's dismay even if it didn't hurt. Once he was done, he taped the broken hoof together before swaddling the leg with bandages. He guessed that Ryoga would be used to walking with one fore hoof with all the injuries he gets. Once he was done, he gave the piglet a slightly affectionate head rub before standing. The whole procedure took over half an hour and exhausted him. He sat down on the couch beside the wounded pig with a sigh. Akane had swooped in and scooped up the porcine wonder, holding him tightly but not too tight lest she damage the pig more.

"Oh that was great Ranma! You helped P –chan! I never knew you like him." She enthused. He cracked open a sleepy eye to regard his fiancée.

"That piglet is too much trouble. Try getting' somethin' easier to handle like a dog…or a cat." He said without inflection. The Tendo sisters recoiled slightly. Ranma would prefer a cat to P –chan? That was something new. The youngest grew frustrated.

"You jerk! Just when I think you're actually nice you pull something like this! Hmph!" she sniffed before flouncing from the room in a huff. The only thing that saved Ranma from a mallet trip was her precious bundle. If anyone had looked, P –chan looked strangely sad at the exchange. Ding shook his head to try and clear his cluttered mind but was brought back by a throat clearing.

"And who might you be?" Nabiki asked the young Dragon. Ding blinked at this extremely forward girl before giving her a roguish smile.

"I'm Ding Dragon. Wandering swordsman and warrior extraordinaire." He said with pride, briefly forgetting his defeat at the hands of Ryoga, but Ranma had to remind him.

"I didn't see how he fought but when I came to he had got buried by the pigheaded idiot." The pigtailed boy said with a smirk causing the young Dragon to snarl softly. Kasumi frowned prettily but kept her peace however Nabiki had no such problems.

"Way to keep friends Saotome." She congratulated him mockingly as the Saotome lad flushed slightly. A terrible noise filled the air, disrupting the degenerating conversation. Ding tried to identify the bizarre sound while the rest of the house merely grimaced. In from the cold came the patriarchs of the clans with a diminutive man leading the way. The singing raised in pitch horrifyingly. A mustachioed man with black hair was supporting a fat man in a dirty gi and a bandanna covering his bald head.

The little man with them suddenly stared in Nabiki's direction with blatant lust in his eyes before leaping onto her cleavage, or at least that was the plan. Instead of the warmth of a bosom, he was suspended by the seat of his pants dangling in front of the face of an irritable Dragon.

"What are you?" Ding asked in a bored tone.

"Show some respect for your elders boy! I am Happosai the Grandmaster of the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts!" the shrunken pervert proclaimed proudly. It might have been more impressive if he wasn't still dangling upside down.

"That's a big title for such a shorty." The Dragon remarked snidely before giving him a negligent flip. When he finally looked around he noticed the horrified and fearful looks they were giving him. Something dropped out in the pit of his stomach as the looks registered. It was a lot like how people look when viewing a condemned man.

"Why you little punk…if it's a fight you want…" Happosai snarled in fury before whipping enough explosives to level half a block at the startled young man. Ranma began immediately doing damage control as he literally grabbed the explosives out of the air and chucked them clear out of the house, but a few still slammed into Ding's chest. With a silent prayer, he muffled the boom with his body as he tackled the bombs. It should have worked pretty well except that he just condensed the blast before getting blown out into the yard. Ding crawled to his feet, hand walking up his body into a proper standing position painfully.

"Ouchies…" he muttered as he took stock of his situation, relying on his natural healing abilities to help him just as the Grandmaster leapt out into the snow. He went to reach for his sword in weapon space only to see the little pervert holding his blade before giving it a casual flick, embedding it in the stone around the koi pond. He dropped into a ready stance, barely noticing as Ranma leapt into the fray as well, turning female in mid flight but this time with shoes on. The busty redhead glared holes through the pervert.

"How about you go away." Ranma said frostily.

"How about you wear a nice frilly teddy?" Happosai asked cheerfully before going back into battle mode.

"Good lord you're a freak…" Ding muttered despairingly as he prepped himself for battle. Kasumi looked to Nabiki.

"Two to one says they fail." Nabiki said.

"I'll take that and a counter bet of five to one that it's Ranma who deals the finishing blow." Kasumi responded.

"Alright, but I also throw in another provision that something strange happens near the end." Nabiki said. The two girls shook hands on the deal before turning back to the battle.

At an unseen signal, the three combatants exploded into motion. Ding's reckless frontal assault was easily redirected by a simple pipe strike the sent him flying into Ranma who was charging in from the rear. The two warriors ended up flying into the snow, but unlike how the master expected them to get tangled up, it didn't happen. The young Dragon hit the ground first, hands locked on Ranma's wrists before twirling, and with amazing dexterity shown by both, touched the bottoms of their feet together before hurling the redhead as a cannonball towards the old freak. Happosai had a split second to acknowledge the turn in events before being blasted from the sky by a powerful downward kick into the ground.

"You'll pay for that!" the old man shouted before vaulting at the still falling redhead only to be nearly blindsided by the blue haired boy. His momentum was great but such things are easily redirected, in this case with a kick to the face. Ding's speed made the kick all the more vicious. However, the old pervert neglected one little fact that brought a smile to Ding's hurting face. Just as the Dragon raced by his embedded weapon, he grasped the hilt and managed to wrench the sword loose at the same time using the halted momentum to regain his footing. He looked back just in time to notice Ranma unleash a tremendous Moko Takabisha at the crazed pervert. The old master simply stepped out of the way and into the path of a powerful downward sword slash that blew snow and ice in every direction, blinding the freak and hurling him back towards Ranma. The redhead smirked viciously before pummeling the little pervert into a coma with the Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken.

"Ha…damn you pervert…" the redhead smirked maniacally much to Ding's chagrin.

"Calm down. You're sounding as homicidal as Ryoga." He deadpanned causing his new friend to snap her eyes to him with a speculative gleam. Her mischievous eyes danced as an idea ran through her head.

"Let's spar." She stated simply.

"What was that?" Ding asked intelligently.

"Let's spar." She repeated.

"I dunno…" The Dragon hedged.

"Wahoo! Let's do it!" Ranma exclaimed cheerfully before leaping forward at beyond impressive speeds. Just as she was about to reach him, a bucket of water was splashed over the confused boy's head. In surprise, the two collided amidst the sound of Happosai chuckling in sadistic amusement. Ding looked up from his position on the ground to the diminutive master before looking to Ranma. The redhead looked woozy and was feeling something strange before her blue eyes met Ding's green.

A feminine shriek split the air but it wasn't from Ranma.

"Pay up." Nabiki told a dumbstruck Kasumi.

End Chapter

Author's Notes: I had to do it. Such a fun opportunity and I had to do it. This sort of makes it a victory for Happosai so stay tuned to see what happens next! Ja ne!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ but I do own Ding. Thank you.

Author's Notes: It seems this story is well liked and I'm happy to please. I hope all of you keep reading and enjoy!

Frozen Lake of Hell

Chapter 3

It was a rather large shock for all those involved to see the scene playing out before them. Ranma Saotome, currently in 'Ranko' mode, was lying atop the new girl on the block with a look of surprise. The surprise was echoed by said laid on individual because of where the pigtailed girl's head was. Right between her breasts. It would have been comical if Happosai hadn't decided that right now would be a good time to cop a feel.

The physics involved with righteous feminine anger are interesting to observe. At moment of contact with a woman's body the violator has a small window of opportunity to escape the following counter-strike. When the use of the word Pervert is applied it triggers a sort of God Mode that ignores the window of opportunity.

"PERVERT!" two girls shrieked in unison as with an eerily synchronous movement they slammed the old freak into the stratosphere with dual uppercuts. The girls looked at one another as if in evaluation. Ranma's girl form was short, busty, and redheaded while Ding's was tall, slender, and with startling green hair. Surprisingly, Ranma patted the now cursed warrior on the shoulder with a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry that ya got involved man…" Ranma said with an apologetic smile.

"Don't worry about it. There are plenty of worse things to be than a girl." Ding waved off the apology with a smile as well. The real women however seemed to take exception to the Dragon's phrasing and were resisting the impulse to go Akane on him. Nabiki glowered before heading back inside while Kasumi gave a simple sniff that spoke volumes.

"Was it something I said?" the neo-girls asked no one in particular.

-Inside-

Akane sat on her bed as she cradled P –chan. The little animal was far from his normal self as he gazed up at the lodestar of his life with anguished eyes. This just wasn't right, Ryoga thought mournfully. He was supposed to try and kill Ranma, fail, and get left where he lay by the arrogant boy, but this time had been radically different. He had fought a highly skilled swordsman in place of his usual opponent before defeating him, barely, and then getting trounced by his nemesis that seemed to have gained control of his curse. Then he had become 'pigged' and had injured his hoof with a nail. It shamed him to admit that he had done nothing to deserve being treated, expertly, by the pigtailed boy. His own pain was interrupted by Akane's sniffles.

"Why do I get so mad P –chan? It's not like he does a lot of this stuff deliberately. Okay, it's not like he does it deliberately all the time, but even then I don't need to hit him. Is it normal for someone to cringe every time you enter a room? I didn't think so. How do I go about fixing a relationship I damaged this badly?" the distraught girl asked her loyal pet as she cuddled him to her chest. The Lost Boy finally realized that perhaps he was lost in a place he shouldn't be and wriggled to get loose. He was creating this whole problem by simply being there. Akane blinked as her pet tried to wriggle free and finally let him go. As soon as his little hooves touched the ground he was off like a shot for the door…to her closet.

"P –chan!" she cried in alarm as she ran to check on the small side of bacon. Her eyes scanned the closet for signs of her little pig, but he was gone. How do you get lost in a closet? She wondered absently, it reminded her of Ryoga… With a muffled laugh she dropped that train of thought. Ryoga is P –chan? Right and that would mean that Ranma's problems weren't entirely his fault. Then she stopped to think about that. His problems really weren't all his fault. That dangerous line of questioning sent her on a spiral.

"Ryoga…is…P-P-P –chan…?" she stuttered disbelievingly before pitching forward in a titanic faint.

THUD

-Downstairs-

Kasumi was going through the motions of friendly and oblivious homemaker even if she was feeling far from her normal self. The young man that came home with Ranma was dragged into their sad little life without warning or even a life preserver. Sink or swim, she thought bitterly as she remembered the surprised face of the newest girl on the block. That comment the Dragon made about there being worse things than being a girl caused her blood to boil a little as she slammed down the knife on an unoffending carrot. With a low sigh, she calmed her temper and went through the motions of her fluid, domestic kata. Nothing could disturb her while she was in her element.

"This is so ridiculous." Ding growled cutely as he (now she) sat down at the table across from Ranma.

"It really ain't so bad y'know. Ya can get discounts and other things cuz guys can't resist a cute girl. My only problem is the guys expectin' ya to 'put out'." The redhead said sufferingly.

"They expect ya to what? Geez that's ridiculous! Ah well…at least I don't gotta worry about goin' through a period. Those are for real girls." The Dragon said cheerfully.

"We are girls right down to inner biology ya idiot. It ain't just a surface thing." Ranma's derisive words blew that hope out of the water. Much to the pigtailed girl's shock and dismay, her friend suddenly burst into tears that would make Soun proud (and cry harder).

"Waaaaaaaah! I don't wanna have my period! Waaaaaaaah!" she sobbed loudly, and piercingly. Nabiki stuck her head in at the bizarre cry and groaned in frustration. Kasumi was gravitating towards the distressed girl to comfort her but her sister bopped the dismayed green-haired girl in the back of the head, incidentally bumping her head off the table. It startled the girl so much that she stopped wailing, but her tears and quiet hiccups were somehow worse.

"Nabiki! That was uncalled for!" Kasumi admonished as she gathered the now stricken girl in her arms. The redhead found she was forgotten in the confusion and gratefully left the table. She had to talk to Akane and get some hot water. Surprisingly in that order. Her ears had detected the thud from upstairs and she went quickly to investigate. The middle Tendo girl shrugged complacently at the confused neo-girl before sitting across from her.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked, unusually solicitous. The girl looked at her with haunted eyes before regaining some of her equilibrium. Kasumi stroking her hair felt nice and if she could purr she would have.

"Not really. How do I explain to my family that I came across a gender shifting curse? It just ain't fair." The girl whined, but at least she wasn't crying anymore. It was so easy to ignore the curse when all it seemed to her was a topographical change, but to find it was a complete metamorphosis that was bad. The neo-girl could feel the sympathy radiating from the eldest girl before forcing herself to stand up. The girls looked at their guest in some surprise.

"I'm going outside to practice." Ding told them in a dull voice as she slowly brought out her sword before heading out into the backyard. Kasumi wanted to follow her but Nabiki stopped her.

"What would you do? The guy's handling it pretty well if you ask me. Just let him work it out. Now what do we do about Ranma and Akane?" the middle girl asked her sister.

"Good question…" Kasumi replied thoughtfully. The Dragon's plight forgotten, they turned their attention to the pigtailed one and his reluctant bride.

-Akane's Room-

Ranma reached her fiancée's room in record time but was unsure how to proceed. However, it was also decided that if it was another kidnapping attempt or Kodachi she had better get in there. With a sigh, she pushed the door open and peered inside. What she saw made her blood run cold.

"Akane!" she caroled in her soprano voice as she made her way to her downed fiancée. The short-haired girl was out cold as Ranma gathered her up in her smaller arms. It actually wasn't drug induced as she first thought as a brief probe of her aura assured her so she merely got comfortable and held the girl close. To hell if their parents saw them.

"It's my fault that we have to hide. If our baka parents saw us they'd be sendin' out the invitations. If my rivals saw it they'd try to kill me and if the girls saw us together they'd try to kill you. Why does everything got to be so rough?" Ranma asked a tiny voice as she waited for the girl who had become the center of her life to wake up. As luck would have it, she didn't have to wait long.

"Mmm…Ranma?" Akane murmured sleepily.

"I'm here 'Kane-chan." The redhead replied warmly only to stutter in shock when the youngest Tendo's eyes flew open and oriented on her. She caught the storm warning in the other girl's eyes as she pushed off from her fiancé turned fiancée. Akane looked as she was about to explode and Ranma braced for impact. When nothing happened for several minutes, the redhead cautiously brought her face up only to find Akane crying. This was definitely not what she was expecting.

"Ryoga is P –chan!" she wailed dejectedly. Whilst she cried, she alternated it with stabbing glares at the pigtailed girl.

"A-about that…I'm sorry I never told you but he made me promise before…I…met…" Ranma trailed off from her frantic explanation to take in Akane's miserable look. In a rare show of insight, she pulled the bigger girl into her arms again letting her cry into her shoulder. The girl clutched at Ranma like she was a life preserver. Ranma ruefully concluded that if she had changed back to a male all these tears would have feminized her.

"I'm still mad at you." Akane murmured from her shoulder, not lessening the hold a bit, but at least she sounded calm.

"Better to be mad than me across town." Ranma quipped. The girl's head came up, anger flashing in her eyes. As the redhead began looking for a place to hide, the look changed to pure mischief as she dived on the smaller girl with a glomp that would make Shampoo proud. With a squawk of surprise, the smaller girl was knocked to the ground and for the second time that day the floor took the lumps instead of Ranma.

THUD

End Chapter

Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long to update but I hope it was worth the wait. I'm currently holding votes for who Ding should end up with (if I decide he should). I don't usually do this but I believe adding some viewer participation is part of the fun, right? So send me your reviews and your votes and I'll include the results on a chapter by chapter basis. Thank you and ja ne!


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ but I do own Ding.

Author's Notes: So far the vote goes…

Shampoo-1

Kasumi-1

And another vote was for Ding not to get involved with anyone at all. That person should be commended for having his best interests in mind. I sure as hell don't. Well, the fun is just starting as we open up for a new chapter! Let's get on with the show!

Frozen Lake of Hell

Chapter 4

Feint, thrust, parry, slash, feint, thrust, parry, slash, the tempo of strikes and counterstrikes increasing with each repetition of the Dragon's chosen kata. The blade that had once felt so light was now heavy to her feminine arms. She growled in frustration as her focus was suddenly lost before burying the blade in the ground to half its length. The mighty warrior wanted to cry but she had already done that. She stood almost hip deep in the suddenly intensifying snow before a blast of aura burst from the sword, clearing the yard of the frozen whiteness. With a titanic wrench, she whipped the sword from the ground and pointed it to the sky in a silent salute.

"Why did I end up here? World's Emerald, why did you bring me to this place?" Ding asked his sword, more specifically, the emerald set in the pommel. The gem glowed brightly before a voice entered her consciousness, warm and loving with a fair hint of humor.

Why not come here? Besides, you specifically asked me to bring you to where you were most needed. The chaos index of this place is well over four hundred percent higher than normal levels. My senses say that it all surrounds the pigtailed firebrand that you seem to have befriended. the voice told her, definitely female in nature.

"Shit. I knew there was something different about the girl only to find out it's a form changing curse. Now to find out that Ranma's a living chaos indicator? Can my life get any worse?" the green-haired girl asked mournfully. The emerald privately thought that her charge was a stunningly beautiful young woman just as he was a devastatingly handsome young man, but she was sort of biased.

It could. You're old friend Bordox could be here. the emerald replied in her typical fashion, blunt and to the point. Ding rolled her eyes heavenward at "that" idea. Bordox was a dark elf of unbelievable power and dark drive. He was a spell caster and warrior of immense skill. Ding wasn't afraid of his old rival, merely wary. If he was here than it would be a lot worse then a simple blizzard. Realizing it would look suspicious if she merely talked to her sword, she started up once again with her kata while continuing the conversation.

"I need some info on these people from what you've seen. Anything at all would be useful." She said evenly as she brought the sword around in a slow, wide arc before slashing with a powerful downward stroke. The emerald was an ancient, sentient magical artifact and thus had many wielders, but none quite like this one. She was used to dealing with healers and sorcerers whereas her current "master" was a warrior of enormous skill. Unfortunately, the translation to other worlds lessened the Dragon's powers to that of the current world's limits.

You want to know about the Saotomes, the Tendos, and Ryoga Hibiki? Simple enough I suppose. Let's start with the Chaos Indicator himself, Ranma Saotome. That poor child has had entirely too much done to him in his life, but he is all the better for it. Few souls burn as brightly as his despite his idiotic father's examples. He is a martial artist of extraordinary ability whose only rival is Ryoga. He is a master of numerous martial arts forms, blending them all into the Anything Goes Style. Given time he could even become a Chi Sorcerer. However, I wouldn't object if you decided to meddle just this once and teach him a few things. He is already walking the warrior's path to righteousness. He'll be a handful that's for sure.

Genma Saotome. If there was anyone I would suggest using a full powered World's Retribution on, then it's him. (1) That man is a blight on existence and I give you full permission to make his life hell. He took his son away from his mother for ten years and forced the boy to endure unending cruelty for the sake of the Art. At current count he has engaged his son to almost fifty eight women and after the curse nearly thirteen men all for food or some silly nonsense. He lies, he cheats, and he steals to his black heart's content without a thought for those he's hurting. Feh, I think I sullied myself delving in that far into his diseased soul and may God forgive me!

Soun Tendo. Weak, soft, and a terrible father. He once was a strong and noble man but since his wife died he chose to give up. If you ever act like that I'll gut you, how I'll do it I don't know, but I will. He left his dear children to fend for themselves while he retreated into his blissful incompetence. That's not to say he's without redeeming qualities. He engaged his youngest to Ranma. While the boy may not be perfect, at least that's one child with a chance for a healthy relationship. Ah well, can't complain too vigorously since he technically is our host.

Happosai…oh what I wouldn't give to create a miniature sun right next to his wicked and vile heart. It's not for lack of trying that he hasn't progressed further than mere panty filching and groping. The little pervert really would love a girl that won't fight back. The only thing keeping him away from Kasumi is the knowledge that he would bring the world down on his head with that stunt. I think even Satan would not wish to sully her. His training is a farce and he has completely failed as a human being. If I had blood pressure, it would be through the roof. Kill him. Please.

Ryoga Hibiki is one warped customer and that's a fact! He turns into a piglet and has a terrible sense of direction. The entire Hibiki line is descended from noble warriors of virtue renowned for their powers in the way of the Light. The terrible sense of direction also affects his sense of love so he tends to err towards people that aren't right for him. It was an affliction placed on his family by a powerful demon. No Ding, not even you can remove it. Lessen it perhaps, but not remove it. Live allies are better than dead meat. His way of fighting, the Hibiki Ryu, is nothing to sneeze at either. This boy is so strong it would make me shudder if I wasn't a rock. An attractive rock, but a rock nonetheless. His beef with Ranma is largely over but they still have relapses. Nothing like what happened earlier however and that tells me there is dark magic afoot. Keep that in mind.

Kasumi Tendo is a brilliant light that doesn't belong on this wretched planet but here she is. The cool, serene face of this paragon of womanhood is a mask for a more mischievous girl who had to lock up her true self to raise her family. You know, use stuff a Dragon Slayer (2) in her old man's craw for me, okay? If it wasn't for her than this family would have fallen apart a long time ago. If you ever need anything go to her. She would everything she could to help a stranger, but would move heaven and earth to help a loved one. Strangely enough, she's a lot like Ranma in that regard. I'll have to think about this.

Nabiki Tendo is "affectionately" dubbed the Ice Queen of Furinkan High. She is also known as Lil' Yakuza, but call her "that" to her face and she'll kill you. This seemingly cold-hearted bitch has single-handedly supported her family financially while her older sister takes care of the emotional aspects. She was such a sweet child with the most heartwarming smile, now she's forced to hide it behind a wall of ice. I'm making myself sad and I don't want to find out if stones cry so let's move along.

Akane Tendo is certainly a piece of work. With her father non compos mentis she was pretty much left to her own devices growing up. The only thing she had was the Art but she was suffering from flawed training. Too bad if you ask me because there is a girl with talent. Up until a little while ago she was involved in stupid fights designed to force her to date the winner. Tragic really because it made her hate boys and blinded her to what Ranma may have offered if he'd had a true friend. At least that seems to be changing now so I'm not "too" worried. It might be a good idea however if you try to smooth things over with them. Well, as much fun as this has been, you're freezing cold and I'm done talking. We need to meet the other key players before I can gather data on them. the gem said in a tone that brooked no contradiction. The green-haired girl was dismissed, pure and simple. Besides, it was a good time to take a break considering how tired she was feeling.

"Ding! There's hot water in the kitchen for you!" Kasumi called out cheerfully. Her voice could warm a blizzard, the neo-girl thought before slinging her sword over her shoulder and entering the house.

End Chapter

Author's Notes: I realize the chapter is a little short but it really was only to develop Ding's perceptions on some of the people in Nerima. As for the attacks mentioned, here they are:

World's Retribution: A spell born of the elements. Fire, Ice, Water, Lightning, Earth, Holy, and Darkness. The spell is Ding's most powerful magical attack and can be used on multiple targets with no danger to bystanders. However, at full power the spell concludes with the finisher Super Nova, a blast of intense light and heat that tears through the already weakened enemy. Ding expends quite a bit of mana to use it.

Dragon Slayer: A powerful ki attack in the shape of a dragon's head. Can be fired as a short burst or a prolonged wave. The burst is good for maximum penetration power while the wave is excellent for strafing. It uses pure ki untainted by emotion, same strength as the Moko Takabisha, but more draining.

Whew! That's it for the attacks mentioned so far. I wanted to get out a chapter before the holiday so from my home to yours, Happy Thanksgiving! Ja ne!


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ but I do own Ding (much to his displeasure).

Author's Notes: Thank you one and all for your reviews, suggestions, and yes, even for the corrections. I'm sorry I haven't been writing as much but there is something far greater than all of us and it's called…life. A scary concept when life for me consists of endless days working but such is life. Another note worth mentioning, I'm sure I mentioned that the emerald had a biased opinion of the people in the series. I'm writing this story, not to pick on characters that have been unduly picked on, but merely for entertainment purposes. With that out of the way let's get on with the show!

Frozen Lake of Hell

Chapter 5

Now It Gets Interesting

The pigtailed martial artist stared out at the rapidly descending snow with a heavy sigh. He really wanted to know what had caused the unseasonable weather they were having. A blizzard spinning out of nowhere was not something he liked contemplating. The other thing he didn't care to contemplate was the fact that he was still a she, but that had little bearing on what was going on. Akane currently had her fiancé-turned-fiancée settled in her lap and was brushing out the neo-girl's surprisingly silky hair, humming serenely. Ranma had been waiting for the other shoe to drop even if her fiancée was smiling but when the worst she had to endure was getting her hair brushed, it confused the gender swapping martial artist.

"Ranma." Akane said softly to get the smaller girl's attention.

"Hmmm?" Ranma replied lazily. As much as she hated to admit it some things felt different when she was girl. One such thing was the strange bliss of having her hair brushed. It was strange how it seemed to lower her defenses and left her with such contentment.

"Are you wondering how I figured out about Ryoga?" she asked peacefully. Since the two of them had started to get along a little better, Akane discovered that spending quality time with Ranma was easier than it used to be. She still subconsciously preferred Ranma as Ranko because of the stupid Hentai Brigade. Girl-type Ranma was safer than male-type. Ranma stiffened in shock before a few more brush strokes soothed her again.

"Yeah I did…" she replied ruefully, but not with as much self loathing as she felt earlier.

"Well, it finally occurred to me that with all the strange things that go on around here and with P –chan's terrible sense of direction, well, I guess I finally put two and two together." Akane told the girl. To say that Ranma was thrilled would be an understatement. When the redheaded girl turned to look at her fiancée, her hair flowing freely, the normally violent middle girl had a single thought "kawaii." She noticed Ranma's shocked expression and came to the conclusion that she had accidentally said it out loud.

"A-Akane?" Ranma asked in confusion. The girl acted on impulse and kissed the startled girl, holding her in a gentle embrace. The neo-girl at first was set to freak out, but slowly relaxed. The sensation was so much better than getting her hair brushed or even ice cream. It ranked up there with Akane's smile but much better. As the two of them kissed the same thought went through their minds.

"This would be so much better with hot water."

-Elsewhere-

It was a bad day to be a piggy, thought Ryoga as he trotted down the snow filled street. Perhaps trotting isn't the right term, it looked more like he was leaping. The phrase "when pigs fly" would apply rather well in this instance due to the height of the jumps. Of all the people he expected to run into, he wasn't prepared to find Shampoo shoveling out the Nekohanten, preparing for business. She seemed to be unusually preoccupied today which made the Lost Boy curious about what was going on. Ryoga crept up cautiously on the bundled up Amazon girl before a strange sight suddenly made him stop again. It appeared to be a young man with silvery hair, trimmed short on the sides with wild, soft spikes of hair on top. His eyes were a deep red color and his skin was a dark tan color. He wore a black trench coat similar to the one that Ding was wearing, but unlike Ding this guy's aura reeked of evil. To an animal it was easy to see but to a human it might not be. Shampoo was a part-time cat which made it easier for her to detect the malevolence he radiated.

"Good day my dear. Is this fine establishment open for business?" he asked in pleasant tones, the neko-girl almost swooned before hissing suddenly. The noise visibly startled the man before he peered closer, clearly invading her personal space. He seemed to be peering into her soul. Shampoo wanted to cry, he was so terrifying!

"Ah…I see…Jusenkyo…well my dear, perhaps I can help you." He said with his oily tones only to have Shampoo respond with something definitely unladylike. The man recoiled from her with a snarl.

"You go. Shampoo no want strange man here." The Chinese Amazon managed to say through clenched teeth. It took all her self control not to run and hide behind her great grandmother. The man was growing furious.

"All I wished was to help you but I guess that's not possible is it? Fine then you stupid wench I'll teach you a lesson!" he snarled as he whipped out a silver hilted katana with a jet black blade. As the blade cleared the sheathe, he received a surprise.

"Bwee!" the piglet squealed in outrage as a glowing ball of ki formed in front of his snout, his eyes exploding with intense aura light. The Chinese girl dived to the side just in time to avoid the world's first pig Shi Shi Hokodan. The angry man watched in shock as the blast rocketed towards him.

"This is going to hurt." He muttered resignedly as the shot hurtled him across the street and through a building. Shampoo stared at her little rescuer with gratitude before spontaneously scooping him up.

"Oh thank goodness Lost Boy here to save Shampoo from mean man." She whimpered as she carried the startled porker indoors. He had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.

-outside of Ucchan's-

The stranger had recovered enormously fast as if the blast hadn't even hurt him. His twisted smile said at the memory of it was proof enough that it hadn't hurt at all. The force from such a technique was indeed impressive but not enough to harm the greatest terror that existed in the multiverse. Bordox Er-Elfin was not only the most feared in all the realms but a warrior without peer.

"That was certainly unique. An interesting technique, too bad only beasts seem to be able to use it." He lamented quietly. If he had known about Jusenkyo he wouldn't have dismissed the technique so quickly. However, the reason he was out was to seek something to eat. Even elves need to eat and this one had been running on next to no food for the past several weeks. If it hadn't been for that blasted Dragon he would have been the ruler of all he surveyed. Still, looking around the neighborhood he was currently in, he ruefully concluded that perhaps he didn't want to rule Nerima.

"The administrative problems would be sheer torture and such a high concentration of spiritual energy would certainly indicate a holy warrior of high caliber. If nothing else then to guard this bastion of untapped chaos." He concluded with a wise nod of his ancient head, even if he looked far from ancient. The delectable smells of okonomiyaki wafted out to him and the hungry conqueror of worlds decided that he absolutely needed the strange, but delightful smelling foodstuffs. As he entered the restaurant, an attractive waitress approached him with a smile on her cheerful face and led him to a booth. The sight of the rather bishounen young man flipping the food in question brought saliva to his mouth. He was glad for the complementary glass of water since it helped to keep him from drooling.

"What can I get you kind sir?" the waitress asked, flirting a little with her eyelashes.

"I will try the special." He said, not even looking at the menu. The pretty girl bowed to him as if he were an emperor before going to place his order. He decided as she sashayed away that when he took over, the first order of business would be to find a girl just like that girl. What was the chef calling her? Ahhh…lovely Konatsu.

"One special for table three Ukyo-sama." Konatsu said demurely as the effeminate ninja boy gave the brown-haired "bishounen lad" the order.

"Comin' right up." Ukyou Kuonji of the Okonomiyaki School of Martial Arts said as she poured the sauce on just right and liberally strewn the toppings on the sizzling Japanese pizza. In short order it was done and slipped onto a plate for the customer. When she got a look at their customer half of her wanted to drool and the other half wanted to melt into a puddle. She thought that only her Ranchan had that effect on her but it was obvious that he wasn't, not anymore at any rate. Konatsu had just delivered the food and it was clear that he was enjoying it. The poor man looked as if he was half starved, so the chef felt inclined to send another one his way on the house. Upon being informed of this, the man looked delighted and told the pretty kunoichi to thank the chef. His smile warmed her in strange ways. Another customer demanded her attention, and with a sigh, she went back to work.

Bordox was clearly flummoxed by this latest development. The delicious food he was consuming was divine and no mortal had a right to such godly fair, but he had to admit he was glad that it was available to mortals, because despite his indefinite life span, he was still mortal. When the second arrived from the chef, it was truly a pleasant experience indeed. With that single act of kindness he decided to hold off on conquering the world for another week or so. When it came time to leave, he left a tip for the waitress as well as the required money it should cost for a meal such excellent caliber. He left the shop with a lightened heart and decided that today was still an excellent day, despite the infernal blizzard.

When Konatsu saw what Bordox considered a tip and adequate pay the poor boy almost fainted dead away. The Mad Elf had left over one hundred and eighty coins. Gold coins.

End Chapter

Disclaimer: I'm sorry it took so long to bang out this chapter but such is life. I hope you enjoyed this installment and return for more. Next chapter will see more of the plot revealed and what the blizzard leads to. Get your cold weather gear as we take a tour of Nerima.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Author's Notes: Another chapter of Frozen Lake of Hell in the same week? Yes it is my friends! I'll cut the trite comments and get on with the show.

Frozen Lake of Hell

Chapter 6

If Ding had any idea that Bordox was nearby he would have evacuated Nerima in an instant, but as such things go he was blissfully unaware of what was going on. It may have also had something to do with currently being male and helping Kasumi in the kitchen. After his intense "practice" she wanted to give him hot water to revert him. Since it was a tenet of his code of honor to always do his part, helping her clean the kitchen and get it ready for dinner was the least he could do. The gentle girl was also a joy to be around. Her peaceful aura and warm smiles were making the young Dragon flustered. As Kasumi picked up a porcelain tea cup it shattered with a sharp report. The gentle girl winced as her delicate fingers were slashed by the shards.

"Are you alright Kasumi?" Ding asked worriedly as he gently took her hand to inspect it.

"I-I am alright Ding-kun. It's nothing." Kasumi protested gently as she tried to extricate her hand from his. The contact was causing her to flush in guilty pleasure but he refused to let go.

"Hold still you silly girl. This Dragon's got a few tricks up his sleeve." He told her with a smile. She really was beautiful but there was time for reflection later. Holding his other hand over her injured hand, a soft green glow gently fell on her fingers like a soothing balm. Ding smiled at the amazement on her face as he pulled his hand away to reveal that her hand was once again good as new.

"Oh my! Th-thank you Ding-kun…" the girl said in quiet wonder before slowly coming back to reality.

"I must clean this up…could you…put the water on for me?" she asked him shyly. Ding dutifully did as he was told while Kasumi swept up the shards of porcelain. The Dragon took another look at the shattered bit of china with an appraising eye. What dark vibration rippled through the air and broke the cup? As far as he could detect this place was a bastion of light, certainly there was chaos but with a kind soul like Kasumi serving as guardian of the hearth there shouldn't be anything that can get in. After putting the water on to boil like she requested, he regretfully told her that he needed to talk to Ranma. The girl unconsciously pouted adorably before telling him the pigtailed one was in Akane's room most likely.

"Thanks Kasumi-san." He said with a smile.

"Uhm…y-you don't need to call me that…j-just Kasumi is fine." She told him, amazed at her own forwardness causing the blue-haired boy to look happier. With an exaggerated bow, he made his way upstairs. The eldest Tendo girl watched him go with a hint of trepidation. If Ding knew that his thoughts on the omen were shared by someone else, he might have felt a little more secure.

-Akane's Room-

Ranma found sitting in Akane's lap to be totally relaxing. The taller girl didn't seem to mind at all as she had her arms loosely wrapped around her female fiancé. It wasn't often that the two of them could just relax without having to worry about everyone harassing them. The hair brushing had degenerated as usual into cuddling. Ranma suspected that Akane loved her girl form more than her male form but it didn't bother her like it would have when the girl first arrived. They never addressed it, but apparently Akane wanted to talk about it.

"It's not that I don't find you handsome as a man. I'm just trying to get myself used to the fact you may never get cured." The short-haired girl told her fiancée softly.

"I thought you were just more in love with me as a girl." Ranma replied quizzically. She heard a soft growl which almost spoiled the mood.

"Oh please…I wish my fiancé was fully male all the time. This is just trying to make the best of things. Can't you accept that?" she demanded, but kept her voice hushed so as not to scare the smaller girl. Akane finally was starting to notice her effect on the aquatransexual. It took less time for Ranma to relax this time. They were about to continue their conversation when a loud crack was heard. It sounded like glass breaking. At Akane's sharp intake of breath, Ranma looked in the direction she was looking and just narrowly avoided an outburst of her own. The picture of Akane's mother was askew and the glass was cracked, but that wasn't what was causing the unsettling feeling. The feeling came from how the glass cracked.

The picture had frozen over.

-In the Hallway-

The redheaded girl and blue-haired boy almost collided with one another in their mad dash to find the other. That would have happened in a perfect world, however, neither one of them had sufficient luck to avoid the collision that put them in the compromising position they were found in by Akane. Ding had instinctively thrown his arms around the smaller girl to keep her standing while Ranma was trying to figure out how Ryoga got here. The short-haired girl didn't scream or rant, but she her eyebrows did ratchet up in surprise.

"Oi…what's the big idea?" Ranma demanded as she pushed away.

"I was trying to keep you from falling you little demon. Did anything happen just now?" Ding asked the little "demon" in question. The pigtailed girl nodded and launched into what had just happened as Ding explained what happened in the kitchen. Akane was cradling the ruined picture frame as the two of them compared experiences.

"What does it mean?" Ranma asked.

"Not a clue. According to what I've observed dark vibrations shouldn't even penetrate the aura of inherent goodness that permeates this place." He replied. The girl blinked stupidly.

"Eh?"

"This shouldn't have happened."

"Oh, okay."

"I want to investigate this but I don't know my way around."

"I'll show ya around."

"Ya sure?"

"Sure."

"Can I come too?" a new voice piped up causing the two to look to the source, blinking rapidly. They had completely forgotten that Akane was there. While Ranma wanted to deny her, Ding thought it would be a good idea if there were more searchers. The stubborn neo-girl didn't like being outvoted but she had to admit it would be kind of nice. Every since she woke up this morning the day didn't feel right.

"Let's get you back to male and don't forget to bundle up. I can do a little something to keep the snow off of us but the cold will still get us." Ding said. Neither teen knew what he meant when he said "keep the snow off" but it made about as much sense as anything did in Nerima.

"Alright, we'll meet at the door in a few minutes." Ranma said.

"I'll get Kasumi to pack us something to eat." Ding said as he jogged back downstairs. As he disappeared below, Akane pulled her fiancée in for a hug. The two shared a comforting embrace before parting.

"We better get ready." The shorthaired girl said.

"Yeah, but if either of us tells you to do something, don't question it." Ranma admonished. The situation must have startled her bad enough that she didn't even argue, just agreed. With that, the gradually more accepting fiancées parted ways to get their things together.

-Kitchen-

"Hey Kasumi, could you pack us something to eat? Ranma, Akane, and I are going out for a bit and we could sure use your excellent cooking." Ding said with a smile as he tried to make it sound lighter than it was.

"Of course Ding-kun, just a moment. May I ask you a question?" the girl asked as she put several bentos together. The Dragon saw no harm in answering.

"Sure thing. What would you like to know?" he asked.

"Does this have anything to do with the cup shattering…?" she asked as she stuffed the boxed meals in a pack for Ding to carry. The young warrior blinked in astonishment before chiding himself on inattentiveness.

"Yeah it does. We think it might have something to do with the blizzard. It's bad out there and getting worse. I get the feeling things are going to get worse before they get better." He informed her as he shouldered the backpack. On an impulse, Kasumi kissed his cheek.

"For luck…" she told him before turning away from him, busying herself with making food for the rest of the family. Bemused, Ding recognized a dismissal when he heard one and left the kitchen in a daze. If he had looked back he would have seen the four alarm blush that covered Kasumi's face.

"Mother keep them safe…" Kasumi murmured.

End chapter

Author's Notes: The story is finally starting to get moving as they set out to investigate Nerima. What will they find out there in their search? Will they run into Bordox? Stay tuned for more next time! Ja ne!


	8. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: I don't own Ranma ½.

Disclaimer: I got some nice reviews for this story. It warms my heart during this cold and wintry season to see such kindness. The weather outside seems to be reflecting this story rather nicely. I do hope that everyone enjoys this chapter. Without further ado, let's get on with the show!

Frozen Lake of Hell

Chapter 8

The crystal glowed dully in the man's hand. It was pure black with only a tiny spark to distinguish it but the glow it emanated was pale blue. The man holding the ancient holy relic smiled at it. It was his companion and guide when it wasn't being stubborn. He brought the glowing rock up to his face and peered into the depths.

"Where is my foe?" he asked it softly. Anyone passing the alleyway would have thought he was crazy for talking to a stone, but Bordox frankly didn't care. The dark elf's smile hitched up a little more at something.

The Dragon is here Master. He is currently heading in this direction. Unless I miss my guess he's going to investigate this unseasonable weather. Something is very wrong in this world and you know how that attracts the Ancient One's attention. The crystal told him. It was the Onyx of the Devil. Hardly an evil relic, it merely served the best candidate at the time until they died. However, like all of the Gems of Power, it would always remain. This particular stone, however, could hold grudges. The biggest grudge it held was with the very person wielding it.

"The Dragon is heading this way? How far away is he?" Bordox asked curiously.

On the other side of the ward actually, there appears to be a school in the vicinity. Shall we go meet them? The stone asked in anticipation. It was too bad that the current master of the OD didn't realize the excitement was because maybe Ding would kill him this time.

The glowing rock really hated its "Master".

The madly grinning elf stuffed the onyx back in his coat before setting off in the direction of Furinkan High.

-Furinkan High-

The Ancient One, or in this case Ding, was staring at the school with a mixture of awe and horror. The school was radiating madness so palpable that he could taste it. He scrunched up his face and looked to his companions only to meet the same looks. They knew how this place was. Sometimes he cursed himself for being sensitive to auras.

"This place is a wreck if I'm any judge. What goes on here?" he asked Ranma. The young man was peering about the area strangely as if seeing something no one else could.

"Yo baka! Ding's talking to you!" Akane shouted to get her fiancé's attention. The pigtailed boy looked back with a quizzical expression. It was one that the Dragon had seen before.

"You sense it too, right?" Ding asked. After a long moment, Ranma nodded. It made the Old One want to cry out in glee since it meant that this world was already trying to protect itself and here was the guy!

"It's weird…it feels like a dull ache in the back of my skull…" he said with some confusion as he rubbed the back of his head.

"What does?" his normally violent fiancée asked in concern.

"The world's talking to him. He's a superior martial artist and has had experience tapping into his ki to feel the world around him, but in this case it seems something is making the world feel him. Has he done anything recently that could be counted as fantastic or beyond comprehension?" Ding asked. Ranma and Akane exchanged looks since neither one of them wanted to talk about it.

"It was at Jusendo when everything happened…" the pigtailed boy began finally. The Dragon listened for quite a while as the teens got the whole story out of their systems. In the meantime, they had continued to search the school but found nothing. As they headed towards the gate silence descended upon the trio.

"A Phoenix God? You killed a Phoenix God at Jusendo? Man, I've heard some bizarre things before (and caused more) but that takes the cake. It would explain a few things. Like how the omens and signs are finding you. There is a disaster heading for this world but what it is I cannot say." Ding told them regretfully.

"Why can't you? If you know so much…" started Akane heatedly only to be silenced by Ranma's upraised hand.

"He doesn't know. This blizzard is a part of it, but he doesn't know what's going on." The boy told her quietly as they trudged wearily onward. The deep snow made the going rough for the trio as they left the school but so far the cold hadn't settled in. It was only Akane's warning that kept Ding was being separated from his head.

"Look out!" she cried prompting the Dragon to leap back reflexively just in time to avoid the swing of a black bladed katana. A figure leapt out, gripping the katana in a ready stance and a sadistic smile on his face. His pointed ears and wild eyes sent warning bells singing through Ranma's brain.

"Nice to see you again old friend! How have you been?" the elf asked cheerfully.

"Oh just fine Bordox…how have you been? I see you managed to heal faster this time. Kudos on that." Ding returned conversationally.

"Who is that?" the girl beside him asked quietly even as Ranma slid into a more hostile ready stance.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners? This is Bordox Elfin of the Dark Side of the Royal Balance and my sworn enemy. Bordox, these two are Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome. Now that we all know each other this should make things a little easier." The Dragon said as he casually brought out his sword and adopted a classic kendo stance.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance. Since we're all friends now how about a gift? I'm sure you'll enjoy these…" Bordox waved his hand at the snow. The teens got ready for anything but what happened next was too weird for even Nerima. The snow began to bulge and swell into rough shapes. The shapes were flattish and icy eyes appeared even as a cold gelatin-like substance oozed out from the snow.

"Frost Flans! Okay, that's cold even for you…" Ding grated out, unintentionally punning. His ancient nemesis laughed before launching in to attack with his sword held low forcing the Dragon to focus solely on the fight at hand and not on his new friends.

The Frost Flans numbered six total and were roughly four feet high and four feet across. Their grotesque jiggling and burbling cries grated on the ears. Ranma was the first to attack with a solid punch only to find his fist pulled into the mass causing his fingers to numb instantly. His fiancée heaved on his free arm and tugged him loose, but they had to jump back as the strange blue things lunged forward with surprising agility. Akane summoned up her mallet and smashed the nearest one flat only to see it spring back into perfect shape. Ranma cupped his hands together to fire off a point-blank Moko Takabisha into the ranks. He smiled in satisfaction as they exploded into blue goo only to gape in astonishment as the Frost Flans fused into a giant Flan. He spared a glance to Akane to see how she was doing only to see her running from three more. This was getting bad.

"How the hell am I supposed to take out something like this?" he demanded even as he wracked his brain for an answer, but his opponent wasn't a patient monster. Even as he came up with an idea, his world went dark and everything became cold.

The Flan had engulfed him.

-Akane-

This was not a good day by any stretch of the imagination unless you counted Jusendo, but even this was bad by those standards. The girl tried to avoid her slimy foes but they were excellent at chasing and worse, Mallet-sama had failed to stop them. She had tried everything she could think of and them some but nothing was working. Akane looked over to Ranma to see how he was doing and froze in shock. The giant creature had swallowed her fiancé like a piece of fruit in a jell-o mold.

"Ranma!" she cried as she tried to rush to his aid but found she had neglected the Flans even as they latched onto her legs and back, the cold seeping in instantly. Akane tried to fight them off but it wasn't working even as she felt her body falling to the snow covered ground. The Tendo heir looked to Ding to see what he was doing and found him engaged in the fight of his life against the man who did this to them. Her anger began to return even as she lay in the snow, freezing to death.

'This can't be how it ends!' she rages internally. 'Not after everything we've gone through! I love him and he loves me! Why can't we get any peace? Why?' her thoughts and feelings reached critical mass, her aura began pumping out heat like a furnace warring with the ice covering her body. Akane pushed herself to her knees, fists clenched at her sides as her brain filled with fire. Her anger filled mind vented her frustration with a single word.

"WHY?" she screamed to the heavens even as fire exploded from her body in violent gouts of flame. Her angry outburst destroyed her attackers and burnt through the concrete she knelt on. Intense heat warped and twisted the light posts as her fury sought out targets to destroy. It wasn't surprising that the Frost Flans clinging to her were the first to feel her rage. Her eyes locked onto the giant Flan holding her fiancé and she stood up, hands pointing with splayed fingers at the monstrosity.

"Earth's fury gather in flames…Heat Shell!" she intoned with a violent shout, unsure where the words came from only caring that Ranma be freed. The Frost Flan resisted better than its littler counterparts but it didn't stand a chance against the flames. Ranma hit the ground with a wet thud as his prison was melted. Akane rushed to take the boy in her arms. His eyes stared into hers for a few moments before he sank into a deep slumber.

End Chapter

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay but let's just say the holidays are a trying time for me. Thank you all for being patient and I hope it was worth the wait! Next time find out what's happening with the fight between Ding and Bordox also, what's going on with Akane? How did she do that? Until next time, ja ne!


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